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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. roll — a cake
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fine — all right
  5. roll — a list
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. file — a line of people
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. file — a tool
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. file — a document
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. fine — high quality
  24. suit — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com